Storage battery with level indicator



May 3l, 1949..

s. sTELMAcK STORAGE BATTERY WITH LEVEL INDICATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledFeb. 27, 1945 jaIN VEN TOR. fzzfy emo May 3l, 1949. s. sTELMAcK2,471,660

STORAGE BATTERY WITH LEVEL INDICATOR Filed Feb. 27. 1945 i 2sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS 'Pam May 31, ma

STDBAGE BATTERY WITH LEVEL INDIQATOE Stanley Steinach, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application February 27, 1845, Serial No. 579.888 2 Claim. (Cl. ISG-182)This invention relates to improvements in storage batteries having meansincorporated therein for indicating the height ot the electrolyte in thecells of the battery.

One of the main objects of the invention is to provide a battery that isconstructed to prevent acid from corroding the terminals of the batteryand at the same time provide means therein for determining the height ofthe electrolyte. f

Another object of the invention is to provide means associated with thebattery at a point remote from the battery that will indicate thecondition of the battery.

A further object of the invention is to provide a battery that will havea terminal that will permit the use of a cable having both connectingends thereof formed in the same manner, thereby decreasing the cost ofthe cable.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing description and accompanying drawings in which similarcharacters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the severalviews.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the device showing parts in section andpart broken away.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof showing how the device is connected tothe indicator by the electric circuits which are shown diagrammaticallyin this view.

3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of 4 is an enlarged section online 4-4 of Fig. 5 is a side view of one of the insulating blocks.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 'l is a sectional view of one of the battery terminals.

- Fig. 8 is a plan view of the type of cable adapted for use with thedevice.

Fig. 9 is a. modification of the indicator for use with the device, and

Figure 10 is a sectional view on the line l8-I8 of Figure '1.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the

. numeral I8 designates the battery proper. having the usual cells l2,I4 and i8. The cells are provided with illling openings i8, which areclosed by the plugs 28 which are formed of any wellknown composition.

The battery I8 has bottom 24, top 25, and front wall 28, but

wall 28 extends upwardly above the top the usual side walls 22, the rear28 and o5 lar openings 38 to support has a forwarding projection iiange38 formed integral therewith as are the other parts of the battery I8.

Positioned between the iiange 38 and the top 28 of the battery in such amanner that it contacts the rear wall 28 is a block I2 of insulatingmaterial such as wood, rubber composition or any suitable electricallynon-conducting substance.

The block 32 is provided with terminal receiving Aopenings 34 andcircular openings 38. A similar block 38 is provided with matchingopenings 48 and 42 and is positioned in face to face relation with theblock 32 within the limits of the projecting flange 38. l

The blocks 32 and 38 are retained in place and protected by aninsulating coating 44 formed from any suitable sealing substance such aspitch tar compounds.

The iiange 38 and the blocks 32 and 38 and coating 44 are provided toprotect the terminals 48 from coming in contact with the acid in thebattery.

The terminals 48 have an inner copper post 48 provided with an integralcircular collar 58 and a screw threaded upper end 52, a lead casing 54having a 'flared lower portion 58 and a circular projection 55 having acircular recess 68 therein to conform to the circular collar 58 of thecopper post 48 is brazed on the post 48.

The ared portion 58 is adapted to be connected to the negative andpositive plate terminais 88 and 82 of the battery I8 and extend upwardlybeyond the flange 38 and be received in openings 84 in the flange 38,the openings 84 being recessed at the lower edge 66, to receive theprojection 55 of the lead casing 54.

The openings in the blocks 32 and 38 are flared at 88 to receive theiiared portion 58 of the lead casing 54 and provided with a circularrecess at I8 to receive the projections 55 of the lead casing 54.

The lead casing 54 extends beyond the flange I8 and is adapted to bereceived in a circular vrecess 12 in a retaining nut 14.

A washer 18 is positioned on the nut 14 and the cable connection 18 isthen placed over the terminal 46 and retained thereon by means of a nut88. In like manner is the other terminal of the battery connected.

In order that both the negative and positive terminals may be positionedbelow the ange 38, the cells are connected as shown'in Fig. 2.

Composition tubes 82 are received in the circuindicating electrodes llin each oi the cells in the battery. The electrodes 84 are normallyimmersed in the electrolyte of the cells, and each o! the cells isprovided with two wire leads. The wires connect with their respectiveswitch posts as shown in Fig. 2. Thus the lead I2-I connects oneelectrode Il oi a pair topost I of the switch Il. Similarly. leads I4-2and I`3 connect one electrode 84 of the remaining pairs to posts 2 andt, respectively. The remaining electrodes Il are connected by leadsI2-I', I4-2' and IB--S' to the posts I', 2' and 3', respectively.

The switch lever 8l has a wire leading to the positive pole ot thebattery and an electric meter 90 is interposed therein.

An arcuate switch platen is interposed between the posts I to I,-inclusive, and posts I' to 3' inclusive, and grounded to the car body. Acontact collar 94 on the lever'l is adapted to slidably contact theplate Il and energize the meter 90 to indicate the height of theelectrolyte in the cells. A coil spring 9G, connected to an eye 98 onthe lever 09, lbiases the lever to an inoperative position.

In Fig. 9 a light IM is shown which can be substituted for the meter`99.

To protect the top of the battery there is provided a, metal cover |02having vent holes |09 in the front wall thereof, and a band |06 securedto the side walls of the cover IIE encircles the rear wall of thebattery to retain the cover on the battery.

The cable 108 having similar connections 'I8 is used with the battery i0and thus either end of the cable can be connected to the battery orstarter of the car.

When it is desired to determine the charge oi a Y Y cell of the batterythe switch is moved to the right until the posts I and I' are bridged,at which time From the foregoing description, it will be readily seenthat there has been provided a device that fulillls the purpose forwhich it has been devised.

While this speciilcation sets forth in detail the present constructionof the Y device, deviations from such detail may be resorted to as donot form a departure from the spirit of the invention as defined by theappended claims.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and usefuland desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A storage battery comprising a multicell body having an upstandingrear wall portion, a ange formed integral with said wall and extendingparallel to theV top of said body, terminal posts for said bodyextending upwardly from the same and through said ilange, insulatingmeans positioned beneath said ilange embedding said posts between saidbody and said ange and electrodes in said insulating means adapted to beconnected to a remotelyelocated indicator to indicate the height ofliquid in said cells.

2. The invention as described in claim l, wherein a, coating is providedto protect the insulating means positioned beneath said ange.

v I STANLEY STELMACK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,136,075 Whitney Apr. 20, 19151,160,491 Brown Nov. 16,1915 1,522,719y Gould et al Jan. 13, 19251,770,975 Everett July 22, 1930 1,818,185 Yull Aug. 11, 1931 2,120,822Wheat June 14, 1938 2,254,110 Petrosky Aug. 26, 1941 2,294,427 SpicerSept. 1, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS .45 Number Country Date 293,825 GreatBritain Nov. l5, 1928

